Sheffield Wednesday: Owls focused on tricky run-in

Dom Howson

Caolan Lavery has dismissed suggestions Sheffield Wednesday’s players are already thinking about their summer holidays as they enter the final stretch of the Championship season.

Some Owls fans questioned the team’s desire on social media after their 2-0 reversal at automatic promotion contenders Norwich City last Monday.

With five matches left, Stuart Gray’s side lie 12th in the standings in no danger of going down but a top-six tilt is mathematically out of their reach.

There are fears Wednesday’s campaign could fizzle out but Lavery has shrugged off claims that the squad have got their “flip flips on”.

The striker told The Star: “We have absolutely not downed tools or got the flip-flops on.

“I saw a few comments on Twitter like that after the Norwich game and it’s not nice to read or hear.

“It wasn’t like we went out there against Norwich trying not to do our best. For one reason or another, we couldn’t get a foothold in the game. At the end of the day, we are professionals and go out there to give all we’ve got every match.

“None of us are thinking about the summer break. We have five games left and we want to get maximum points.

“We want to show everyone the strides we have made forwards this year and I think fans forget that at times.

“We can still have a big say on what happens at the top of the table so every game is important to us.”

Lavery, who enjoyed a productive loan spell at Chesterfield earlier this season, is aiming to spearhead Wednesday’s attack for the third match on the spin when they welcome Charlton Athletic to Hillsborough this Saturday. The Addicks are one point and a place above the Owls in the table.